How to Kill Bugs on a Strawberry Plant in a Pot

Bugs on strawberries can be harmful or beneficial.

Aphids, beet army worms, cabbage looper, cutworms, earwigs and vinegar flies are just some of the many bugs you might find on a strawberry plant. An infestation of these bugs can damage the plant and prevent it from developing fruit. Because you are likely to be eating the berries, you need to avoid toxic pesticides that can contaminate the fruit as a control method for killing the bugs. Pesticides can also kill bees and other pollinators, leaving your plant without any berries.

1

Move the affected pot at least 10 feet away from other plants. This helps prevent the spread of the bugs. The farther away from other plants you can move the infested pot, the better.

2

Identify what type of bugs you have on your strawberry plant. Different types of insects have different control methods. You also want to be sure the bugs are indeed pests and not pollinators or other helpful insects. You can take a sample of the bug in a plastic sealable bag to a garden center or nursery for identification.

3

Wash the strawberry plant with a spray nozzle. Set it to have enough pressure to knock bugs off the plant but not damage the plant. Avoid spraying blossoms, as this can prevent the plant from developing strawberries.

4

Move the pot again away from pests that are now on the ground around and under the pot after being washed off the pot. This prevents the strawberry plant from becoming reinfested.

5

Release predators to the pests directly onto your strawberry plant to eat any remaining bugs. Ladybugs and syrphid flies eat aphids. Praying mantises and green lacewings eat a variety of pests. These predators can be purchased at a nursery or garden center or ordered online through gardening websites.